Radcliffe has played and enthused about quite a lot of folk on his 6 Music shows, and has performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival is some guise or other. But the rumblings on certain folky websites suggest he's being brought in to steer the show away from trad stuff towards ''''''''nu-folk'''''''' zones, e.g. the posturing vacuity of Mumford & Sons.

I only ever hear Radio 2 in the doctor's waiting room; I suspect it's the station of choice there to keep people ill while you wait for your appointment.

I would imagine Radcliffe thinks the Mumfords are crap, if he doesn't the programme's going down the chute.Having said that, doesn't he play drums in some 2nd rate Pogues-copyist band? Not by any means a crime though...

Saddened to hear about Mike Harding, I thought he played a fair selection on his show, now his current Facebook postings have a bittersweet quality. Things could be worse than listening to Radio 2, where I work we have Radio 1 on all day and I get howls of protest if I try to tune into anything else. I must be getting too old for the ignorant vapidity of most of the presenters - although Scott Mills does possess some brain cells. As for most of the music ... !

On 30th Dec 2012 at 5p.m. Mike Harding’s new, free, podcast Folk Show will stream out live across the world at www.mikehardingfolkshow.comAfter 15 years at the helm of BBC Radio 2’s flagship folk programme, Mike Harding now brings his passion for the music that matters to a worldwide, internet, podcast and syndicated radio audience.

Continuing to focus on the very best from the world of Folk, Roots and Acoustic music, Mike’s unique understanding of the music, its traditions and its sources will be at the heart of the new show which will appeal to folk fans young and old.

The Mike Harding Folk Show retains all the great things about his previous programmes: the new music, the classic oldies, the emerging left of field talent coming from small labels, and will be adding to that pages of information on tours, new releases, artists' websites, record distributors, folk news, festival listings and anything else that captures his imagination.

Over 15 years, Mike’s Radio 2 Folk Show built an audience from 70,000 to in excess of 800,000 and many of his loyal listeners, as well as friends and colleagues from the folk world are backing this new move. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the support I’ve had in the past few months, and this new show is incredibly exciting, giving me a chance to champion the music that I – and many others care so passionately about”.

The move is backed by Whistledown Productions, the Radio Academy’s “2012 Independent of the Year”, who will co-produce the show with Mike.Managing Director, David Prest says “So many people have grown into, and learnt about folk music through Mike’s shows. His passion is infectious –whatever way you listen to it.”

The show will be streamed live each Sunday at 5 pm and will broadcast 24/7 as an hour plus of the best in folk, roots and acoustic music.After 7 days the show will be archived as a podcast download and the next show will begin streaming at 5 p.m. the following Sunday.

The programme will also be syndicated to radio stations around the world, through the Public Radio Exchange.

As Mike says: “Folk music isn’t something that people have on in the background like musical wallpaper. It isn’t something that needs a load of flash production or a “showbiz” platform. It is the music of the people and for the people – people see it as their music and they are incredibly devoted to it. I see it as my job to carry on doing what I’ve been doing all my life in folk clubs and pubs and, for the last 15 years on the BBC, and that is to share this wonderful music with the people it belongs to – the listeners.”